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Portland Gang Associate Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison After Being Convicted for Federal Gun Charge

Defendant, an Armed Career Criminal, was Just Recently Released from Federal Custody

PORTLAND, Ore. – December 24, 2013, Sid Edward Willis Jr., 34, of Portland, Oregon, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm after he threatened a couple with a loaded .357 caliber handgun.

On May 24, 2012, at approximately 10:00 p.m., a couple drove into the Plaid Pantry parking lot located at SE 162nd and SE Division, in Portland, Oregon, to pick up a couple of things on their way home. After the male driver exited the car and went into the store the defendant walked up to the female passenger, who was still sitting in the car, and asked her "why is your man mugging me." As he was talking to the passenger the defendant showed her a silver handgun that he had tucked into his waistband. Alarmed, the passenger exited the car and went into the market to tell her boyfriend what had happened and that they needed to leave. Immediately after leaving the store, the defendant called out to the male driver and stated why "you mugging me?" The male driver turned to walk toward the defendant who then pulled out his gun and pointed it directly at the male driver’s face stating, "You can’t be mugging me...I'll kill you...I'm a gangsta.” Part of the incident at the Plaid Pantry, including the defendant pointing a gun at the victim's face, was captured on the store security video tape.

The couple immediately left the store and called 911. Portland Police Officers responded and captured defendant Willis a short time later down the street. After defendant Willis was taken into custody, officers located a loaded .357 caliber revolver hidden in some bushes where the defendant was trying to hide from the police. When he was being booked into the Multnomah County Jail the defendant blurted out to the police that he had done everything and then said, "Just give me a deal, I want 15 years in the state, don't send me to the feds!"

The defendant had been released from federal custody less than two months prior to this incident after serving a 10-year drug sentence. The defendant was arrested on federal charges and initially charged on a federal criminal complaint on May 29, 2012. On June 5, 2013, he was indicted by the federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal. The defendant pled guilty on July 22, 2013. At the time of the crime, the defendant had 10 prior felony convictions, including four felony drug trafficking offenses.

U. S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown sentenced the defendant to 15 years in prison on the new felon in possession of a firearm charge. The new crime was also a violation of the defendant’s federal supervised release. Judge Brown also revoked the defendant’s federal supervision and imposed a consecutive five year sentence. When he is released from prison the defendant will serve an additional three years of supervised release.

“When Congress enactedthe Armed Career Criminal Act it recognized that a very small percentage of repeat offenders commit a large percentage of violent or potentially violent crimes,” said U. S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “The law was designed to incapacitate criminals, like the defendant, through the imposition of very lengthy prison terms in an effort to keep our community safe from our most dangerous offenders.”

This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and the Gang Enforcement Team. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Scott Kerin, the Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Drug Unit and former head of the Gang and Sex Trafficking Prosecution Team.